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DDCA Election: A reminder of catastrophe in sports bodies in India

The start of July’18 saw headlines filled with news of famous news anchor Rajat Sharma winning Presidential post in DDCA elections. DDCA is a body created to specifically deal with cricketing issues, affairs and to control and regulate pool of Delhi Cricketers for selection of Delhi and Indian teams.

This is common sense that a person from cricketing background would understand intricate, basic day to day issues better and apply knowledge of his struggle & success to the advantage of people belonging to cricketing world. Sports-irrelevant, political, famous, power-backed and moneyed people winning elections of sports bodies such as DDCA, is unfortunate.

Qualification, knowledge or experience to act as head or officebearer of sports bodies has been an undying necessity in India, however, due to political intervention and supremacy, fulfilment of such necessity has always remained a dream for sports persons in India.

Though relevant people of sports background could be best suited and qualified to perform specialised tasks and undertake day to day issues of sports bodies and persons, yet this simple rationale is neglected due to hunger of power and money by our politicians, who always look for ways to control sports bodies in India. Rajat Sharma, India TV Chairman and Editor-in-Chief, is having no background in cricket and has never played a Ranji or Unani or IPL or International Cricket match.

The sad part is, he defeated Madan Lal, who led bowling attack in 1983 World Cup for India, which India won. Sharma got 1531 votes as against Madan Lal’s 1004 votes. Supreme Court Bar Association President Vikas Singh got 232 votes. Both, Sharma and Singh were non-cricket playing candidates in DDCA Elections for the post of President, which is totally non-suited to their curriculum and professional expertise.

The DDCA thing is not an isolated incident, as throughout the country, sports bodies are headed by politicians, bureaucrats and other irrelevant people; the players and relevant people having played sports at State, National or International level, lack money, political charisma or power backing for being too independent and differently oriented.

Once media reported axed BCCI boss Anurag Thakur saying, “If political leaders can lead the country and the states from the front, then, what’s wrong in leading sports bodies. We have proven our worth and worked for promotion of sports”.

Well, that’s no good argument Anurag. Instead of talking in words, I would take you through the results of Olympics’ 2016. In Rio Olympic’ 16, India sent 117 athletes for competing in 15 sports, as against China’s 416 competing in 26 sports.

India won one Silver and one Bronze totalling to 2 medals, while China won 26 Gold with a tally of 70 medals. China and India are the most populated countries of the world and are 1 st and 2 nd respectively. However, in the Olympics, China was brightly placed at 3 rd position in medal tally, while India adorned sleazy 67th position.

Vetting the result of last Olympics with the statement of Anurag Thakur, what would do you feel? The Indian Youth is being wasted by political leaders bossing around in sports bodies and spreading the virus of politics in sports. How do we change this? How do we make world class athletes? How do we justify holding of sports’ bodies posts in India by politicians, money grabbers & powerful? When would we understand what our athletes need to win Olympics’ medals?

For good health of Sports in India, the criteria for being part of governing body or member of a sports body, like DDCA, should be that the person belongs to that specific sports. For high positions in such bodies, the minimum qualification should be that the person has played at National and International Level for the country. For example, to be a Member of DDCA, the bare minimum qualification could be Ranji or Unani or IPL player.

However, for contesting for senior posts of office bearers like Secretary, VP or President – the qualification should be that contestant has played for India in International Cricket. And then from the pool of such members, the Governing Body should be elected.

If relevant people, who are skilled, experts and understand the functioning and issues of a particular sports, are made in charge and elected to positions of power in sports; the common-sense element would prevail and relevant people would be able to contribute for welfare of the system therefore bringing smoother, faster and result oriented system in such bodies. They can understand the practice, procedure, complexities, knowledge and wisdom specific to sports.

Though setting such a criterion may not solve all the problems; but at least, it will ensure that the entire body is constituted of people of similar interest, expertise and background. The past experiment of having politicos, bureaucrats and powerful as bosses of sports bodies, has undoubtedly failed. Time to evolve and shun such practises, if India wants to be known and respected on the sports and Olympics circuit!

DISCLAIMER : Views expressed above are the author's own.

Author

Vivek Narayan Sharma is an advocate at the Supreme Court of India and a socio-politico-constitution expert. He has filed and contested PILs of importance & undertakes pro bono legal activities to improve the hues and spectrum of society.

Vivek Narayan Sharma is an advocate at the Supreme Court of India and a socio-politico-constitution expert. He has filed and contested PILs of importance &a. . .

Author

Vivek Narayan Sharma is an advocate at the Supreme Court of India and a socio-politico-constitution expert. He has filed and contested PILs of importance & undertakes pro bono legal activities to improve the hues and spectrum of society.

Vivek Narayan Sharma is an advocate at the Supreme Court of India and a socio-politico-constitution expert. He has filed and contested PILs of importance &a. . .